Post by Rocket Witch on Dec 26, 2017 1:51:01 GMT

Nitinol is what is known as a shape-memory alloy. When cold it can be deformed easily. It is shaped, then heated for a prolonged period to program that shape into it. Once cool again it can be deformed in any way and then when heated moderately again it will reassume its programmed shape. The material works very hard when doing so and can generate immense forces when constrained, making it possible to produce an engine exploiting this process. Of course CDE can't simulate this, but it is interesting and the heated austenite has fairly good mechanical properties. It's also curiously cheap at 12.8 c/kg.